Nebraska sweeps Baylor for fourth straight win

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BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star

Given all the balls that Nebraska’s Kayla Banwarth successfully fielded Wednesday, it was OK that good buddy Tara Mueller stepped in to field the first question about the libero’s record-setting night.

“She just knows where to be all the time,” Mueller said. “That is awesome.”

Coach John Cook described his team’s overall effort as rough around the edges, but thanks to 32 digs from Banwarth, the No. 9 Huskers rolled to a 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 sweep of No. 24 Baylor at the sold-out NU Coliseum.

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Nebraska's Brooke Delano hits the ball past Ashlie Christenson of Baylor during Wednesday's match at the NU Coliseum. (Jacob Hannah / Lincoln Journal Star)

Nebraska's Brooke Delano hits the ball past Ashlie Christenson of Baylor during Wednesday's match at the NU Coliseum. (Jacob Hannah / Lincoln Journal Star)

An NU record for a three-set match, Banwarth’s total equaled her career high set in a five-set win against Minnesota early in the season and came within two of Nebraska’s all-time record for digs set by Maria Hedbeck in 1993.

The 32 digs were the most by any player at the NU Coliseum since 1987.

“You guys have been around long enough to know that when a libero has a great night, the impact it has on a team,” Cook said, almost certainly referring to those nightmarish nights for Nebraska where the opponents’ libero almost single-handedly wrecked a season.

This time, however, it was Banwarth ruling the court, and it’s not a stretch to say that NU’s postseason fate could rest on the wrists and forearms of the 5-foot-10 junior.

Take Wednesday, for example. Nebraska’s hitters piled up 19 errors and the Huskers served out of bounds four times, yet NU spent only a few points trailing.

Baylor, on the other hand, hit a season-low .089 after entering the match hitting .247 as a team. The Bears’ middle blockers were rendered helpless, combining for nine kills and 14 errors.

One of those many errors, coming late in set one, ended a rally that Banwarth kept alive first with a pop-up dig and later a sprawling pancake.

“When teams are scrappy, when teams are getting crazy digs up, that’s so annoying,” Banwarth said after moving to eighth on NU’s career digs list. “I’m not even a hitter, and that bothers me when the other team gets a great dig.”

If Baylor (21-8, 10-8) wasn’t bothered by Banwarth, the Bears almost certainly were by Lindsey Licht. The junior right-side hitter had another outstanding night, ripping 13 kills on .522 hitting. Mueller added 12 kills, matching Licht with a couple of big rips.

After what Banwarth did, “it’s the hitters’ job to drive and put the ball away,” Mueller said. “We need to repay her.”

Briefly: With its fourth straight sweep — two coming against ranked foes — Nebraska (20-6, 13-4) continued to build toward a run in December. With Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado left on the schedule, the Huskers won’t see another top-25 team until the postseason.

Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.